The Dark Ages of the Valley
by inquiring life
Summary: It hadn't always been like this. In the beginning, everything was normal. Now, though, it's not. It's terrible. But we can't escape. We can try to change it, though. Escape the misogyny, escape our destinies. We might die trying, but wouldn't it be worth it?
1. Cats of the Valley

_**LEADERS -**_

 _ **Night**_ _**~ (protector) - mate:**_ _Flower_ _{cream tabby with dark cream stripes with yellow eyes and soft fur}_

 _Tuxedo cat with pale yellow eyes and medium length fur, stocky build_

 _ **Flame**_ _ **~ (provider) - mate:**_ _Rain_ _{silver tabby with soft teal/blue eyes and medium length fur}_

 _Dark ginger tabby tom with long fur, tufted ears and yellow eyes_

 _ **PROVIDERS-**_

 _ **River**_ _**~ mate:**_ _Dawn_ _{light cream she-cat with medium length fur and pale blue eyes}_

 _Blue-grey tom with blue eyes and short fur_

 _ **Soot**_ _**~ mate:**_ _Pebble_ _{mottled grey she-cat with yellow/green eyes and long fluffy fur}_

 _Siamese tom with blue eyes and thick fur, lithe_

 _ **Long Shadow**_ _**~ mate:**_ _Fawn_ _{small cream she-cat with a white muzzle, legs, and chest with short soft fur}_

 _Black tom with pale green eyes and short thick fur_

 _ **Falling Leaf**_ _**~ mate:**_ _Butterfly_ _{tortoiseshell and white she-cat with pale amber eyes}_

 _Dark ginger tabby tom with short fur and green eyes_

 _ **Storm**_ _**~ mate:**_ _Lavender_ _{grey/lavender cat with amber/brown eyes and short thick fur, slightly broad face}_

 _Grey tom with medium length wiry fur and a white spot on his chest, pale yellowish green eyes_

 _ **Flying Moth**_ _**~ mate:**_ _Moss_ _{Dark grey she-cat with long soft fur, and dark green eyes_ }

 _grey/brown tabby tom with pale yellow eyes and medium length wiry fur_

 _ **Rock**_ _**~ mate:**_ _Ivy_ _{Grey she-cat white muzzle and front, deep green eyes and soft, long fur}_

 _Deep grey tom with amber eyes, thick short fur and broad face_

 _ **PROTECTORS -**_

 _ **Mud**_ _**~ mate:**_ _Mouse_ _{light brown she-cat with short fur and green/brown eyes}_

 _Dark brown tom with pale green/yellow eyes and long fur, stocky build_

 _ **Flying Eagle**_ _**~ mate:**_ _Snowflake_ _{silver and white she-cat with grey eyes and short fur}_

 _Dark brown tom with white muzzle, chest, and paws, long tufty fur and amber eyes_

 _ **Smoke**_ _**~ mate:**_ _Marigold_ _{orange tabby she-cat with medium length fur and yellow-brown eyes}_

 _Smokey grey tom with a tabby tail, medium length fur and grey-green eyes_

 _ **Cloud**_ _ **~ mate:**_ _Lilac_ _{cream/grey she-cat with pale green/yellow eyes, long fur, and a narrow face}_

 _White tom with medium length soft fur, one amber eye and one blue eye_

 _ **Mountain**_ _**~ mate:**_ _undecided_

 _Grey tabby tom with dark grey/almost black stripes and dark yellow eyes with short fur_

 _ **TRAINEES -**_

 _ **Little Hawk**_ _**~ mate:**_ _undecided_

 _Cream she-cat with brown tabby splotches, dark amber eyes, short legs, slightly scruffy and tufty fur_

 _ **Falcon**_ _**~ (provider) - mate:**_ _undecided_

 _Dark brown tabby tom with teal/sky blue eyes and thick fur and tufted ears_

 _ **Long Talon**_ _**~ (provider) - mate:**_ _undecided_

 _Dark brown tom with soft yellow-green eyes and short thick fur_

 _ **Breeze**_ _**~ (provider) - mate:**_ _undecided_

 _Dark grey, almost black tom with thick fur, and dark yellow eyes and thick tail_

 _ **Shade**_ _**~ (protector) - mate:**_ _undecided_

 _Black tom with grey eyes and short fur_

 _ **Ice**_ _**~ (protector) - mate:**_ _undecided_

 _Large white tom with medium length fur, pale blue eyes and narrow face_

 _ **Tansy**_ _**~ mate:**_ _undecided_

 _Small tortoiseshell she-cat with bright yellow eyes, soft, tufty fur_

 _ **KITS -**_

 _ **Sleet & Tiger**_ _**~ parents:**_ _Eagle & Snowflake_

 _Sleet: white and grey tabby she-kit with grey/blue eyes_

 _Tiger: brown tabby tom-kit with grey/blue eyes_

 _ **Spice & Oak**_ _**~ parents:**_ _Mud & Mouse_

 _Spice: Dark brown she-kit with grey eyes_

 _Oak: Brown she-kit with white paws and amber eyes_

 _ **Rubble**_ _**~ parents:**_ _Soot & Pebble_

 _Siamese tom-kit with grey eyes_


	2. Prologue

You might think that it was always this way, but it wasn't. The group was one of the groups of cats in the high mountains, no longer affiliated with the Tribe of Rushing Water. In the beginning, the Tribe of Rushing Water had been happy in the mountains, but soon, there was a rebellion. Some cats didn't like the current leader, so they rebelled and made their own group, taking some cats from the tribe and letting others that wandered through the mountains join too. They became a tight knit group, that soon grew larger, and larger, until they became the size of the Tribe they had left.

Now, you may believe that this group's history was peaceful, and they all lived happily ever after in the high mountains, but they sadly didn't. Not even close. The group became something the founders would have never wanted it to become. Violent, misogynistic, full of terrible power hungry cats. The group had fallen into a sort of Dark Ages, and this is what this story is about, how a few good cats were able to bring the group back to solidarity and peace.

But for now, you need a bit of backstory…

In the beginning, the group was part of the tribe. Three cats, Flying Fire, Snowy Night, and Soaring Bird had started to disagree with the ways of the tribe they had been born into. They felt that the tribe needed to be different, but after an uprising occurred, they were sent away with the cats that had fought with them. They decided they were going to form their own group based on their own ideals and morals, make their own rules. And they did.

They wandered far into the mountains, finding a small valley, a moorland within the mountains with a few small trees and shrubs. It was a hostile climate, and without lots of tribemates to help them hunt, they suffered during the first moons. Their wasn't lots of prey, and even though they had been raised in the mountains, things were different in this small valley. It was a huge change and it hurt them at first.

But they were able to adapt, and soon they had a small camp in the valley. They were quite isolated, the valley was edged by mountains and rocks and hills. They saw very few cats if any at all in the moons that passed. A few wanderers had joined them, and after awhile, they were almost as big as the tribe had been when they left. They prospered and everything was good, for a little while.

The group, who now called themselves the Tribe of the Valley, was set up kind of like the tribe. They had cats who learned how to fight and protect the group so they could fend off hawks and eagles and other things that would haunt the valley, while other cats learned how to hunt and provide for the group. They were called the protectors and providers, and each cat was sorted into the groups after they reached 5 moons so that each group will have cats suited for their job.

There was to be two leaders and a medicine cat. One leader was in charge and watched over the providers, while the other watched over the protectors. The medicine cat would be alongside both leaders and join them together, as the medicine cat cared for both groups and did not favor one part of the group over another. Each cat would be trained by several and/or all members of the group they are sorted into, and they will also learn skills from the other group so they would have more than one skill.

This worked for many, many moons, but soon their came to be ruled tyrant of a leader, who decided to rip and resew the fabric that had kept the group together for so long. His name was Hail. He felt that he needed more power, that the tribe would do better, so he banished the rule of two leaders, and he took out the role of medicine cat so that no cat could be more powerful than him. He felt that he could do more for the tribe if it was just him in power, and not more than one cat making decisions. He said it was for the good of the group and slowly he took all of the power away. He was in charge, and he made the rules. But these rules were not good ones, and he was no fair ruler.

Hail made sure that cats started to work and train for the tribe as soon as they could eat prey, he made them work hard and grueling jobs, and many young cats died from exhaustion, and without a medicine cat, the group was helpless and more susceptible to diseases and death. The group suffered. Once a very large group, now small.

There was a shortage of young cats, so Hail decided he was going to fix that. He made it so that she-cats only jobs were to bear kits and keep the camp clean. They were there to bear kits, and raise them. He made them the property of their mates, and toms were given control. Hail was aggressive and terrible.

Now, the she-cats of course did more than just bear kits, they learned some healing practices for their kits and they helped each other, but thanks to the society and the rules put it place by Hail, they couldn't do much. This soon became the way of life, and it was like that for a very long time. After Hail died, the older cats decided they were going to have two leaders again, but they would not have a medicine cat because no cat had the knowledge would not train kits as hard, and the rules would be more relaxed so that the group could function. But, they kept the rule about she-cats, and this rule is still in place today, reminding the old cats about a much darker time.

The she-cats were seen as objects up for trade, and they were not treated with respect. They were seen as kit-carriers. But this was the way of life for she-cats, so it was accepted as they didn't have the skills to fight back. They had not been trained. So they kept quiet, used their basic healing techniques, and had kits. And that was the way of life. It's the way it has been, and always will be… until it is changed.


	3. Chapter 1 - The Ceremony

Little Hawk glanced out of the entrance of the cave sleepily. She always did this, waking up early to see the sunrise and staying up late to see the sunset. She loved it. It was always beautiful, and she loved seeing the deep shades of red and blue and indigo and purple and pink, it was amazing. She mostly enjoyed this experience because no other cat seemed to care about the beautiful light shows that would occur every day. It made it feel special, that these moments were hers, and hers alone. They didn't belong to the leaders, or any other toms for that matter. And they couldn't take them away from her, like they did with everything else.

She was staring as the sun slowly slid past the peaks of the mountains when she heard cats stirring. She immediately snuck back into the trainees den, and curled up into her nest, hoping no cat saw her. The last time she was caught, and Mud had been sure to leave a sizable scratch on the muzzle for her actions. It took all of her strength not to lash out at the tom, but she knew she would have lost, after all, she had no training in any sort of fighting techniques, while he had moons of it.

She hated not being able to at least defend herself. She wanted to learn, to be able to provide for her tribemates, to be important. But sadly, no other she-cats could defend themselves or teach any skills other than how to act around toms, some healing procedures, and how to be quiet. And who in their right mind would want to learn how to be quiet? She hated it. But she hated "The Ceremony" more than anything.

"The Ceremony" was basically when she-cats got handed off to toms as soon as they turned 7 moons. The leaders, Night and Flame, would decide for the toms in the group what she-cats they would be with, and if the toms accepted, the she-cats would then become the tom's responsibility for the rest of their miserable lives. Little Hawk hated it, but she knew she couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't escape because without any basic skills she wouldn't survive half a moon outside of their territory. So she stayed with the Tribe of the Valley, helpless and trapped.

Little Hawk turned to her best friend Tansy, who was also anxious for "the ceremony." Theirs was taking place today, and they were very anxious. Tansy and Little Hawk hated the system, they wanted to escape, but they were scared. So they stayed, and gossiped, and waited. Always waiting.

Little hawk hissed to Tansy,

"Hey. Pssssssssssssstt… Hey!"

Tansy jumped up and looked around, eyes half closed. Clearly confused about what was happening.

"It's today.." Little Hawk said.

"Unnnhhhh.." Tansy replied, getting up slowly and stretching, then she proceeding to lick her soft, tortoiseshell chest fur down, trying and failing to make it look neat.

Both were the only she-cats in the trainees den, the rest were toms. They were scared. They didn't want to be turned over to older warriors, but they didn't want to be mates with any tom at all. Yes they both had crushes, (Tansy liked Long Talon, while Little Hawk personally preferred his brother, Falcon), but they were too young to mate. They had heard stories about young she-cats not even 10 moons dying while kitting because they were too young and weak. They definitely didn't want that.

Littlehawk look around the den, spotting Falcon's dark brown, tabby pelt in his nest, murmuring to his brother while glancing over to the two she-cats. Littlehawk felt her messy fur fluff up, her pelt heating as she became embarrassed. He was very handsome, and nice. She personally thought that if she had to have a mate this young, he would be the one she wanted to have.

She returned to looking around the den, spotting Ice's brilliantly white pelt among the gloom. He always seemed intimidating and cold-hearted, just like his name implied. She would not want to spend the rest of her miserable life with him. Nu-uh. She glanced over to Shade's nest, the black tom was still curled up with his tail over his entrancing grey eyes, still sleeping. He was always a sleepyhead. He was mysterious, always keeping to himself. Little Hawk was always wary of him, but they had a good relationship. Sort of. If you counted looking at each other and sharing eye rolls when some cat was being stupid was considered having a relationship with someone. He was practical. She probably wouldn't be too mad if she was stuck with him.

Then she looked over to Breeze's nest. The almost black tom was smoothing his long fur down. Little Hawk rolled her eyes. He was too smug about little unimportant things. He annoyed her to death, he made fun of her, and he was just a huge jerk. She did NOT want him as her mate. Under any circumstances. She would rather be mates with an older tom than that cat. She despise him, and she was pretty sure he despised her, with his constant critical attitude about everything she did. She couldn't stand him, but she wasn't too worried, she was sure that Night and Flame wouldn't make that decision. She was sure they saw how they argued, who would want to listen to that if they became mates? Plus, he would probably refuse her even if they were chosen for each other.

Tansy finally got out of her nest and padded to the entrance of the trainees den. The camp was in the shelter of a rock shelf, it hung over the camp providing protection from wind and rain, and in the back there was a series of small caves that had been converted into different dens. It was cozy, it was their home.

Tansy peaked out of the den, seeing her tribemates waking up and stretching in the clearing under the rock shelf. She glanced over and saw Flame and Night chatting quietly, probably about the ceremony Tansy assumed. She turned and made her way through the nests to Little Hawk. She looked scared, but Little Hawk saw the effort Tansy made to try and hide it. Little Hawk sympathized with her, her stomach hurt so bad and it felt like her throat was started to close she was so nervous. The looked at each other and nodded silently and sat with their heads pressed together.

They sat like that for a bit, trying to calm each other's nerves when they realized that cats had started to gather in the clearing under the rock. Tansy glanced back through the entrance of the den terrified. Little Hawk noticed her fur starting to spike up and smoothed down Tansy's pelt with her tail, attempting to make her look neat. Tansy turned and Little Hawk flicked her ear softly with her tail tip, trying to signal with a look that it would be alright, even though it wasn't. They both padded out of the den and sat beside the wall, trying to make eachother look neat. Tansy attempted to smooth down Little Hawk's tufty pelt to no avail,

"My word, your fur just will _not_ cooperate, will it.." Tansy forced out chuckle as she attempted to smooth the fur rising alone Little Hawk's spine. After she stopped trying, they both sat quietly in the corner of the cave made by the rock, waiting for the leaders to start the meeting and decide what would become of them for the rest of their lives.

Little Hawk saw Flame and Night climb onto the big stone near the side of the cave, they stood together silently, waiting for the tribe to gather around the rock before beginning.

"Today is a big day.. Four young cats will be joined by matehood today, and will soon bring prosperity and kits to the tribe. By having this ceremony we will be able to guarantee a bright future for us, and help us to know that we will survive for many more moons." Flame said, glancing around at the cats gathered beneath him.

Night turned and looked down to Tansy and Little Hawk, who were huddled together off to the side. He beckoned them over with a look, making the two she-cats stand and sit in the path cleared by their tribemates.

"Here we have two promising she-cats," Night started, "Today is the day where they will get a mate and start on their journey of serving the tribe. From this moment on after you have been assigned a mate, you will become their responsibility, and it will become your responsibility to provide young cats for the tribe and be supportive of your mates," Night said, looking down at the two she-cats.

Little Hawk trembled, this was not what she wanted. She wanted to hunt and fight like the toms, she wanted to be equal and not treated as something that provides kits and can be taken advantage of. She didn't want this!

"Tansy," Flame called out, "Please step forward." Little Hawk saw the fear flash in Tansy eyes as she stepped forward. She looked so small against the stone, her tortoiseshell pelt trembling with fear.

"Ice.. Please step forward as well."

Oh no. Oh no no no no _no_! Tansy couldn't be paired with Ice! He was too mean and cold to be paired with her! She would never survive! Oh Tansy! Tansy looked utterly horrified at Flame's choice in a mate for her. She was shaking so bad Little Hawk was sure everyone noticed.

" Ice, do you take Tansy as your mate, til death do you part, will you provide for her and keep her well fed and healthy enough to produce kits?"

Ice looked back over to Tansy, he sniffed her soft, tufty fur glancing at her with his piercing eyes, his gaze devoid of emotion.

"I do."

"It is settled, I now proclaim you two mates!" Flame meowed, his words ringing and bouncing off of the stone creating an ominous echo, as if declaring a death sentence. The toms cheered while the she-cats looked on quietly, keeping blank expressions on their faces, showing no emotion. The two young cats forcefully touched noses and walked over to the side to sit down together.

Little Hawk felt so bad for Tansy, she hoped she would not turn out as unlucky as her. She prayed to whatever controlled the lands that she would be okay, and that Tansy would survive. She shuffled her paws in front of her, barely breathing as her chest seemed to close.

"Little Hawk," Night's voice rang through the hollow in the stone, barely penetrating the she-cat's choking thoughts.

"Please step forward." She stepped forward. Her heart felt like it had moved and taken residence in her throat. She tried to calm her nerves to no avail as Night's luminous yellow gaze looked across the cave. She felt her heart leap in her throat as Night turned back and glanced at one cat in particular, she couldn't breath, her fate was being decided right before her eyes, everything was going to change. She felt her heart stop at his next words,

"Breeze," Night said. Little Hawk felt her head spin, not hearing the rest of what Night had said. She could barely concentrate on what was happening as Breeze stepping forward, standing beside her as her small frame trembled. He couldn't believe what was happening. Was Night insane?! Any cat in their right mind would never pair her and Breeze. They hated each other! They would never get along! She felt like her world was slipping through her paws, as she tried in vain to grab it, to save it.

"Breeze," Night continued, "Do you take Little Hawk as your mate, til death do you part, will you provide for her and keep her well fed and healthy enough to produce kits?" Breeze turned back to Little Hawk, his gaze unreadable, he sniffed her fur as custom and during a fleeting glance, they locked eyes. But it ended quickly and Little Hawk was too distracted to catch any emotion in the look.

"I do." Breeze said, looking at her. She couldn't tell what he was feeling, or why he had even said yes. To her. They totally hated each other, right?

"It is then settled, I now proclaim you two mates!" Night howled, his voice loud and ringing in Little Hawk's ears. The toms, again cheered wildly while the two young cats stiffly touched noses, the she-cats again also looking on with no emotion visible from their still gazes, except maybe pity and sorrow.

Little Hawk walked over to where Tansy and Ice were, Breeze padded beside her swiftly. The two pairs of mates sat together quietly while the leaders turned to sort out the jobs for the day. Tansy and Little Hawk looked over to each other with terrified expressions. What was going to happen to them?


	4. Chapter 2 - Bonding Session

Little Hawk couldn't believe this. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She didn't understand, she just wasn't able to wrap her head around why. Why would Night and Flame pair her and BREEZE of all cats? Why?!

After Night and Flame finished talking to the toms about their duties for the day, they padded over to the two new pairs of mates. It was custom for each pair of newly-made mates to have a "bonding session" they called it. Basically, the two cats would go out into the valley and find a space to talk and "bond" as they said. The thought itself just sent shivers down Little Hawk's spine. Spending the rest of the day bonding with Breeze? She felt like she was going to vomit.

Night and Flame stopped in front of the four cats,

"Congratulations young ones," Flame said dipping his head respectfully to the cats,

"So, as you each know, after the ceremony each new pair of mates must spend the rest of the day bonding with the other out in the valley. I suggest that go out now so you can have as enough time. You are to return at sunset and start sharing a nest together."

Little Hawk almost gagged, having to bond with Breeze was enough but sharing a nest? She was going to die before anything could happen between them. Night started to continue on as Little Hawk looked at her paws, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"On another note, Ice, Breeze, in a half moon you will have your tests, we hope that you have been preparing." Night looked at each tom, staring at Breeze a little longer with a questioning look. Breeze looked away, seemingly uncomfortable.

"Well, you cats should get going! Have a nice time," Flame ended with a small smile, his gaze flicking between the young cats, each in turn before spinning around and walking away, Night kept looking at Breeze for a heartbeat longer. Little Hawk wasn't sure what their relationship was but she didn't pay that much attention. Soon Night turned and followed Flame.

Little Hawk looked over and shared a glance with Tansy, her fur had been spiked since the ceremony. Tansy's eyes screamed with terror, her small frame quivering. Little Hawk nodded, she felt the same way. Breeze started stalking off towards the Valley, turning around sharply,

"Hey! Are you coming or what? We don't want to waste daylight and with your slowness we won't be able to make it anywhere before sunhigh if we don't start moving," Breeze said rolling his eyes and giving her a glare before turning back around and continuing to stalk toward the Valley. Tansy shared an apologetical look with Little Hawk before she started to walk with Ice out of the cave. Little Hawk felt a tear graze her cheek as she walked out of the cave beside Breeze. Why was he so mean to her? She didn't understand what she had done to make him hate her so much. Her and Breeze branched off from Ice and Tansy and walked through the heather before Breeze abruptly stopped and sat down.

"This spot is fine," he said curtly, glaring at her as she sat with her head down.

"What's wrong with you? Are you actually crying?" Breeze said as he laughed, everything directed towards her full of malice. Little Hawk glared at him and wiped her eyes with her paw.

"So.. I guess we're supposed to be bonding. Whatever that means.." Little Hawk said quietly, trying not to look at Breeze.

"Uh, yeah that's what Flame said. You sure are a dumb she-cat. I wish we hadn't become mates, you're just so annoying it's embarrassing. And now that you're my responsibility it's going to suck for me.." Breeze said, but before he could finish Little Hawk interrupted him,

"Then why did you accept me?! You could have said no! If you hate me this much why didn't you just refuse me? Huh?!" Little Hawk screeched, she didn't care that she had interrupted him, she hated how he treated her. She couldn't stand it. She looked down at her paws, her frame hunched over, waiting for him to claw her or punish her for yelling at him.

But Breeze just sat there. He looked at her. Little Hawk couldn't quite see what he was trying to portray through his gaze, but she straightened herself, licked her chest fur and looked away from him, attempting to keep her composure. Breeze didn't say anything for a few moments, just looked away. They sat like that, across from each other but not looking at one another. After a while Breeze simply said,

"It's getting late, I'm going to hunt so we can eat tonight," Then got up and left. Little Hawk glared at his back as he sauntered away and into the brush. She looked back into the beyond, she thought about running away, far far away. She could actually live, she wouldn't have to deal with stupid toms anymore. She could be alone and watch every sunrise and sunset. She wondered if toms out past her valley treated she-cats they way toms treated them here. She sat in thought for a while, waiting for Breeze to come back and take her back to the cave.

Little Hawk eventually heard rustling and turned her head towards the noise, seeing that it was Breeze, carrying a vole and a small sparrow in his jaws. He didn't stop to set them down, just looked at her, annoyed and beckoned her to follow him as he walked up the rise. Little Hawk leered at him, he just pissed her off in every way possible. As she slowly walked behind him, she turned around to look at the sun starting to fall in between the mountains. She took a fresh breath of air as she looked on with joy, feeling at peace for the first time that day.

"Come on, stop looking at the stupid sky. Flame and Night said we had to be back by sunset." Breeze turned around, growling at having to set down his prey to speak. He whipped his head back around and picked up the food, continuing to stalk away through the undergrowth. Little Hawk sighed quietly, her joy short-lived as she returned to reality. They returned to the cave soon after, Breeze putting his prey on the pile before heading over to talk with Night.

Little Hawk slumped down in the corner, tired of everything. She looked over to see Tansy and Ice return to the cave, she looked over to Tansy expectantly, asking her if it went well. Tansy looked at her with sad eyes, she started to pad towards Little Hawk, seemingly eager to share her own experiences about the bonding session with her best friend, but Ice growled at her, making her turn back solemnly, head down as she padded back to Ice's side. She glanced back at Little Hawk, who looked shocked with the way Ice ordered her around, but Tansy was soon shielded by Ice's white pelt as they walked over to their own side of the cave to eat.

Little Hawk felt so bad for Tansy. She had wanted to go over there and claw Ice for ordering her friend around with no remorse, but she restrained herself as she saw Breeze walking over with two mice.

"Here," Breeze said curtly, dropping the mouse at her paws before settling in beside her without a word to eat his own mouse.

Little Hawk bit into the soft flesh. She felt numb as she ate. After she had finished she licked her paws clean and laid on the ground, closing her eyes. Breeze had finished and licked his lips, sitting back onto his haunches to clean out his long, pitch-black fur. Little Hawk didn't even feel anything at this point. She just wanted to sink away into the darkness and never appear again.

That night, little Hawk and Breeze slept as far from each other as they could, laying on opposite sides of the nest. Little Hawk started crying, she hated this! She hated it. She just wanted everything to go away. She wished it would all just disappear.


	5. Chapter 3 - Advice

Little Hawk woke slowly, her eyes opening at their own pace as she looked around the den. It had been a moon and a half since the ceremony. She had learned to cope with Breeze, well cope meaning that they ignored each other as much as possible as to not cause a war.

Little Hawk was depressed. She just wanted to be free. She wanted for her and Tansy to be able to hunt and fight, she wanted to not have a mate. She wanted to live and not just survive. She wanted to be important for a reason other than mothering kits.

She had spent that past moon and a half mostly with Tansy. Since Ice and Breeze had passed their tests they were now working full time, and Breeze was out usually out hunting for most of the day, while Ice was usually out protecting a hunting patrol or walking around the edge of the foothills making sure nothing had wandered into valley. Because of this, Tansy and Little Hawk were usually in the cave. She-cats weren't permitted to go far into the valley without their mates in case of a hawk or if they ran away.

Little Hawk and Tansy spent most of their time lounging and cleaning their fur, sometimes patching up their mates if a hawk attack had occurred or cleaning out the dens. They had a lot of time to think. The most popular subject to discuss, though, was escaping. They talked about it all the time, just wanting to be free. They thought up elaborate scenarios, sometimes talking for hours on end about being by themselves.

Today was one of those lazy days, because their mates had finished their training, they did as well, they had finished learning about how to act right and the few healing techniques that could be passed on so now they mostly laid around. There weren't any she-cats to "train" yet so they didn't have much to do besides the chores, though it couldn't really be called that because it wasn't real training.

The two she-cats lounged in the late afternoon sunshine, talking about random things from the thought of rain later that week to a bird flying near the cave and what it's life was like. Little Hawk loved these moments even if she would much rather have been hunting and fighting with Tansy, these moments were as good as they got, so she enjoyed them as much as she could.

"How's Ice been treating you?" Little Hawk suddenly said. Tansy barely talked about her new mate, changing the subject when it turned to their partners. Little Hawk had seen that something was going on between the two cats, she just wasn't sure what.

"Well, " Tansy said, sitting up to look out the cave, she seemed hesitant to talk about the stocky white tom.

"He... well he's complicated," She said, avoiding eye contact with Little Hawk. "He just, I don't know. He doesn't talk to me much. He's very distant. Cold almost," Tansy said. The tortoiseshell she-cat kept looking out of the cave, as though trying to think of how to talk about her situation. Little Hawk suddenly thought of something. She looked frantically at Tansy, begging her for an answer for the question that had been hanging in the air since they got on the subject.

"Oh no!" Tansy said quickly, "No he doesn't hurt me! You don't have to worry about that." Little Hawk's pelt smoothed down a bit, but she was still worried.

"He just… keeps to himself. I feel like maybe I'm not what he wanted? I'm not entirely sure. He makes me uncomfortable sometimes, but he protects me fiercely from other toms. I just get feel like I'm getting mixed signals from him, you know? Like he protects me but he doesn't interact with me very much."

Little Hawk couldn't say she sympathized and knew entirely what Tansy was talking about, the cream and brown tabby she-cat hadn't encountered that problem with a tom before. But she tried to understand for her friend's sake.

"Well, I'm glad your not in danger," she flicked her friends ear with her tail tip jokingly, "But I feel like you guys need to communicate more. Maybe you just need to find out what his deal is, see why and act accordingly you know?" Little Hawk wasn't a professional at giving criticism and solutions, Tansy was better at that, but she thought that this was some solid advice.

"Yeah. Yeah I think I will. Thanks! You really are a great friend." Tansy said purring, leaning into the other she-cat's side.

"So… how's your mate situation going?" Tansy looked at her questioningly. Little Hawk sighed, annoyed just by thinking about Breeze.

"I'm coping. If coping means that I'm ignoring him and interacting with him as little as possible so that I don't do something I'd regret." Little Hawk sighed, looking out of the cave, into the valley and the mountains beyond.

Tansy looked at her sympathetically, she knew that Little Hawk was having a hard time, but Little Hawk wasn't making it any better by trying to ignore the situation.

"Look, I know that you and Breeze definitely don't like each other, but we aren't getting out of our situation anytime soon. I really think that you should at least not hate him. You don't have to love him! I just think, maybe.. I don't know, maybe you should at least get to know him a bit better." Tansy said. "See why he acts the way her does. Maybe he has issues," Tansy said. "Well I know he has quite a few of those," Little Hawk chuckled harshly.

But, Little Hawk had to admit, Tansy had a point. Unless she learned how to fight and hunt, she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, she should probably at least get to know the cat that her life was basically tied to.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Dang Tansy! Always having the right answer!" Little Hawk laughed, pushing her friend softly. Tansy chuckled.

"You know, what do you think would happen if we did get out of here though?" Little Hawk said quietly, curiosity lighting a beautiful fire in her gaze. If there was one thing that Tansy had to say she liked about her friend the most, it would have to be the way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she was passionate about. It started a fire in her that was amazing, she was a very passionate cat.

"I dont know," Tansy said, looking up thoughtfully, a smile on her face. "Maybe we would find more cats! What if we... I don't know... climbed a mountain!" Tansy said, her face beaming as she thought of climbing the highest mountain ever and seeing the ground from the top. Little Hawk stared up at her friend, starting to think of her own ideas of what they would do outside of the Tribe of the Valley.

"We could catch prey! And fight! We could fight off an eagle together!" Little Hawk said excitedly thinking of an escapade such as the one she was talking about. The two she-cats started laughing. They had to admit, it was crazy to think like this, but they loved just being able to imagine anything.

"And we could watch all the sunsets and sunrises," Little Hawk said quietly, her eyes glazing over, a soft smile on her face as she sat deep in thought. Little Hawk wanted the real thing, she wanted all of their fantasies to come true. She wanted to be free, but she couldn't be. The best she could do right now was dream.

Little did the two she-cats know, their chat was being watched. A certain black tom was staring at them intently from the back of the cave. Her watched as the cream and brown tabby she-cats eyes lit up as she talked, his silvery grey ones watching from the shadows. He laid down, contently watching the beautiful she-cat talk to her friend, both she-cats oblivious of the fact that they were being watched.


	6. Chapter 4 - Sharing Experiences

Little Hawk had taken Tansy's advice about getting to know Breeze better. She had recognized the fact that if you hate the person that your life is tied to and you don't even try to make the relationship better, your life is going to be miserable. So, deciding that she didn't want her life to be even more miserable than it already was, she decided to try to get to know the black tom.

She had practically begged Breeze to go out into the valley later that day, and even though he sighed and made a fuss about it he finally agreed to make her stop pestering him. So, after he had gotten back from a hunting patrol he beckoned her over and they started to walk out of the cave.

"I don't know why you insisted on going outside. The cave is perfectly fine," Breeze said, clearly annoyed. Little Hawk was starting to get mad but she bit back a menacing retort, simply looking ahead of her as they walked through the bracken.

"Well, I thought because the 'bonding session' went so terribly, and because I realized the importance of getting to know you better I decided maybe we could... chat about stuff, if you want to," Little Hawk said, trying to sound nice. Breeze turned to look at her as they kept walking, a little confused but he replied,

"Umm, okay I guess." Little Hawk and Breeze continued walking until they found a rock coming out of a hill, providing a shady, sandy spot to sit. They sat down, both cats glancing around awkwardly.

"Well, I guess I'll go first," Little Hawk started, she glanced over to Breeze as he looked out from under the rock, clearly not listening. Little Hawk started to get mad. How was she supposed to even get to know him when he wasn't even paying attention! She got up and walked over so that he was facing her, he looked at her annoyed,

"What are you doing? I thought you were busy 'going first,'" Breeze said. Little Hawk started to fume, she couldn't believe this!

"Well I was going to start talking about my life so you could get to know me better and then you could do the same but CLEARLY you are not very interested." Little Hawk spat. Breeze just rolled his eyes. Little Hawk wanted to claw his face off she was so mad.

"I just wanted this to be a time to get to know each other! I just wanted us to bond or whatever. I didn't want us to fight! We do that too much and life is going to be miserable, I don't want that to happen I just was trying to get to know you better and this is hard as it is..." Little Hawk blubbered, tears coming to her amber eyes. She looked away from Breeze, her throat and eyes burning, refusing to let him see her cry.

Breeze looked at her, starting to regret his harshness. He didn't want her to cry, he never meant to make her cry, or feel bad at all for that matter. But he didn't know how to comfort her. He started to panic, he didn't know what to do! He just wanted to make her stop crying he didn't like emotional situations. He just sat there for a bit, trying to think of something to say to her, his pelt ruffling. Finally he decided on something he hoped would work,

"Before I was born," Breeze started, catching Little Hawk off guard, the she-cat turned to look at him, a little surprised, her muzzle wet from her tears. Breeze continued, "My father died before I was born. He got carried off by hawks. Then my mother died giving birth to me and my littermates. Only me and my sister survived the birth but my sister ended up dying two moons later from sickness, she wasn't born very strong. My father and Night were brothers, that's why Night and Flower have always looked after me. He was hard on me, saying that he just wanted to make me strong. He made sure I was trained hard and he made me learn fighting techniques from him, he didn't want me to end up like my father was what he always told me.

"He was never affectionate, he only trained me and made sure I was the best. He never showed me love and Flower was always distant because she had lost her litter before me and my sister were taken in by her and Night. I never got affection from any cat except my mentors and that still was very rare.

"Look I'm sorry for being a jerk, okay? I just… I don't know how this works I don't know what I should be doing. I don't know how to be a good mate or even a good friend, this is all new to me. We're just so young... So, I'm sorry for being insensitive, this is a nice thing that your doing." Breeze said, gesturing around them . He sighed looking down at his paws. Clearly a little ashamed.

Little Hawk had to say, she was quite surprised. She never would have thought that Breeze would open up as much as he did, he had even apologized. She appreciated the fact that he let his guard down, so she knew she had to keep this going for as long as possible before having him retreat back into his self-made walls. She padded next to him and sat down, lightly flicking her tail tip against his ear to get his attention. He turned to look at her solemnly, she nodded.

"I understand," Little Hawk said quietly, "Thank you for your apology, it means a lot. I'm sorry for what happened to your kin, and I'm sorry that Night and Flower never gave you the affection you deserved."

"I guess I can start my story now…" Little Hawk said, chuckling a little, Breeze smiled slightly. "My mother was mates with my father, but she wasn't happy. She didn't love him, she loved another tom. But, she had kits with my father anyway, and that's how I was born. My father knew that my mother wasn't happy with him, he tried his best to make her at least content but she still loved another tom. Eventually she left with the tom, went away from the tribe and out of the mountains.

"I thought it was all my fault, I thought she didn't love me anymore. But recently I came to the revelation that she loved me but because she had me with someone she could never love as much as she already loved another, she left. It was better for me in the long run, though, because I would have rather had her leave like she did then stay and fight with my father my whole life. So I'm happy that she's happy.

"My father's Mud. He ended up mates with the she-cat that was the tom's mate, Mouse. My father cared for me, I was the last thing remaining in the Tribe with my mother, he still loves her very much. Mouse was kind, she knew it wasn't my fault but she wasn't my mother and she made sure I knew that she would never be.

"So that's about it. I really just want to go and live outside the Tribe, you know? Have freedom to do what I want, love who I want, be who I want. Maybe I'd even be able to find my mother. I don't know," Little Hawk drifted off, looking out into the mountains deep in thought.

Breeze stared at her, her tufty pelt swaying in the wind, he resisted smoothing it down with his tail. He had always thought she was beautiful, he had always liked her, he just didn't know how to show it. He wasn't able to express it. But he knew that since he had been cruel to her for so long she couldn't suddenly start showing him affection. He hoped that maybe because they had shared important information then maybe they could start to get along better and they could start to love each other.

They sat together, looking out into the mountains for a while, both occasionally glancing at the other. After a little bit they went back to the cave, walking side by side instead of walking far away from each other like they had done before.

Shade sat in the corner of the cave again, eating a rabbit with Long Talon and Falcon. The two toms were talking about hunting and fighting and mates as they always did, the group didn't talk about much else when they were together. But Shade wasn't listening, he was deep in thought when a certain pair of mates walked into the hollow made of stone, definitely looking closer than before they had left.

Shade felt something inside him, jealousy? No it couldn't be. He was happy for Breeze, maybe him and the she-cat would finally be closer after all just like Breeze had wanted, but this feeling of joy for his friend just didn't sit right, he felt jealous, for more reasons than one.


	7. Chapter 5 - Shade's Dream

Shade settled into his new nest in the protector's den, the nest still stiff as it had just been constructed that day. He had finally passed his test and progressed from being a trainee to being a protector, and he was quite happy and proud at his accomplishments, but something was nagging him. Something in the back of his mind just wouldn't let him feel fully content, he felt like he was missing something.

He sunk into his new nest, exhausted. He looked around the den, his ears pricking at the sounds of his new denmates snoring softly. He tried to settle into his nest but it was stiff and the feathers at the bottom kept poking his belly. He huffed softly, making sure to be quiet enough as to not wake anyone with the sudden noise. He didn't want everyone to hate him for waking them up on his first night.

He turned a bit and got into a slightly more comfortable position before laying down and resting his tail over his nose. He felt lonely, practically every other tom was sharing a nest with their mates, curling around them protectively. He knew that he would be getting a mate soon, Mud and Mouse's kits were just about old enough, but he didn't want them. He only thought of one she-cat in particular as a potential mate, but she had already been taken.

Shade had always liked Little Hawk, it had only been recently, though, when he realized that he loved her. He loved her passionate spirit, the way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she loved, the way her pelt fluffed up in the wind, he loved to gaze her when she watched the sunrise and sunset every day and he loved seeing her eyes light up at every one. He loved everything about her, but it broke him to realize he couldn't possible have her. She was taken, and by his best friend too.

He had been happy for his friend, Breeze had always said he found Little Hawk pretty and would stare at her sometimes, but Shade never liked how Breeze treated her. Breeze had said he liked her but treated her like dirt. She didn't quite understand why he did that, but he felt bad for Little Hawk. He couldn't really do anything except try to talk to Breeze about it but every time he tried it never really helped. But today, when he saw the two cats come back he knew that something had happened, they weren't as physically uncomfortable near each other. And at this point Shade realized something, he was jealous. He knew could treat her better, he would love her forever, he would give her everything she needed and wanted, he just wanted to see her smile because of him.

He started crying silently, he was in love with her. So helplessly in love. But he didn't think that he could break Breeze and Little Hawk apart now. He cried harder, sobbing as quietly as he could, trying to make sure no cat could hear him. Eventually he drifted into sleep, one last tear dripping down his muzzle.

Shade felt himself falling, he opened his eyes to see stars all around him. He looked around frantically but he saw no ground, just an endless amount of stars, like he was falling through the night sky. Soon he felt himself stop, and he turned himself over so that he was in a standing position. He suddenly felt something solid beneath his paws, but when he looked down he saw nothing.

Shade was awfully confused, he knew he was dreaming, but he had never recognized the fact that he was dreaming when he normally did, something was very different. He felt like someone was watching him.

The pitch black tom whipped around to see a dark ginger tom with darker flecks and amber eyes come up to him, his long fur swishing when he walked. He then saw a white she-cat come up behind the ginger cat, walking around the tom till she stood next to him. She had deep grey eyes and medium length pure white fur. Then a third cat came up to stand on the opposite side of the original ginger tom, this new cat a brown tabby tom with sky blue eyes. They all stood together and Shade stared at them confused.

Suddenly, he saw flashes of what he believed were memories from the cats in front of him. He saw a huge group of cats fighting in a large cave behind a waterfall, the three cats standing in front of a cat who seemed to be a leader sending away the cats in front of him along with some others, he then saw the group hunting and sleeping and walking on what seemed to be a journey. He saw them trekking across lots mountains until they came to a valley. With a sharp intake of breath, Shade realized it was his valley. He saw the group living happily until he didn't see the original three cats in front of him, but the group seemed to live on, the only thing strange was he got the sense that the cats were different from the group he lived in now, the cats way of life was different yet he couldn't quite place what was different...

Then he gasped as he felt himself come back to facing the cats that stood in front of him. Then the ginger tom started to speak,

"What you just saw was how it was meant to be for this tribe till the end of time, but as you can tell, that is not how it ended up," The ginger tom said, his gaze still on Shade. The black tom was still quite clearly baffled at what was happening, he looked at the cats with confusion evident in his gaze.

"What are you talking about? What's going on? Where am I?!" Shade said, starting to panic. The white she-cat stepped forward looking at him with her deep stormy eyes,

"You are very special Shade, we are here to start you on your journey. You and some others you know are very special, and we recognize that. We need you and your group to help fix the Tribe of the Valley so that moons from now what we built will still exist," the white she-cat said, her voice quiet and calming, even though Shade was panicking.

"I have no idea what you're even talking about! I think you have the wrong cat… I don't know what's going on! Please if I'm so important tell me what I have to do!" Shade pleaded.

Suddenly, the three cats started to fade, the stars starting to show through their figures.

"No! No, please don't go! What are you even talking about? Please?!" Shade said, frantically running trying to reach the fading cats. The brown tabby tom spoke suddenly,

"You will save us. Journey to the rushing water and you will learn what you need to do," the tabby said as the cats that had just stood facing him faded into nothingness as soon as Shade had reached where they stood. He looked around, scared as the stars started to fade around him. He woke up suddenly, dawn light streaming through the den. He was panting, shivering even. He was so confused. What had that meant? It couldn't have been just a dream, it had felt all too real. Shade got up slowly, padding out of the den, still shaking. Not one bit rested.


	8. Chapter 6 - A New Friendship

Little Hawk sat at the edge of the cave, cleaning out the moss that still clung to her pelt. She had decided to clean out her and Breeze's nest that day along with some others because of how bored she had become. Tansy had gone with Ice for the day and Little Hawk didn't really have anyone to talk to.

Little Hawk and Breeze had become closer since the day they had talked and Little Hawk was happy about that, but she was nowhere near loving him, and she was nowhere near happy with the system that she lived in. She looked out the cave entrance out to the sky beyond. It was a chilly leaf-fall day, big fluffy clouds grazed the sky here and there. It was truly beautiful.

As she sat looking out the entrance of the hollow in the rock, she failed to notice Shade coming back from a hunting patrol. He brushed past her to put his prey on the fresh kill pile that was behind her, bringing Little Hawk back to reality and sending tingles down her spine. She glanced over to the black tom, feeling her pelt heat up with embarrassment she backed away.

"S- Sorry… I didn't realize I was in the way," Little Hawk said, scared he might claw her across the muzzle. Shade looked at her, a bit of confusion washing his grey gaze. He set his prey down,

"It's fine. You don't have to worry, you weren't really in the way," Shade said, coming to sit down next to her. He sat down awkwardly, glancing around fervently so that he wouldn't be caught staring at Little Hawk. The brown and cream she-cat looked back out to the mountains, imagining the endless possibilities.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Shade said, noticing that she had started looking off into space. "Oh.. nothing much.." Little Hawk replied, still deep in her thoughts.

"Well, you obviously have something on your mind," Shade said after a few beats, bringing Little Hawk out of her trance. Little Hawk wasn't quite sure if she could share her actual thoughts with Shade. The two cats weren't hostile or anything like that, they were actually quite cordial with each other, seeing as he was Breeze's best friend. But they weren't exactly close on any terms, so Little Hawk didn't quite know how he would react.

"Oh, um…. I don't know I've just been bored I guess," Little Hawk replied. She felt like this was a safe enough amount to share. Shade nodded, seemingly understanding the feeling.

"Yeah I bet, I mean, being cooped up all day and not getting to do very much, I would be bored out of my mind! I feel bad for you guys, you and the other she-cats I mean. I know everyone doesn't think very much about that stuff but I feel like it's just unfair and stupid that we have rules like this." Shade said quickly and in a kind of hushed tone, scared of being overheard.

Little hawk looked at Shade with amazement. Never in her life had she believed that a tom cat would feel the same about her situation as she did. He looked back from behind his shoulder to see her face filled with shock and a soft excitement. His pelt started to feel hot at the thought of him being the one responsible for the look her face.

Little Hawk nodded in agreement, "Oh my stars, YES! Wow, I never thought a tom would feel the same way about the rules as I did! Gosh, this life is just so boring! There is nothing to do except sit and look pretty and it just makes me so mad. I want to be doing things, I want to be going out hunting and fighting with everyone, and have a purpose other than bearing kits, you know?" Shade watched her intently as she talked, loving every second of it. She was so passionate and it made Shade happy to watch her talk about something she believed in.

They sat and talked for quite a while. Even though Shade knew he would be reprimanded for not doing very much that day, he didn't care. He was just happy to spend time with Little Hawk. They talked about everything under the sun, and they both very much enjoyed their chat. They were so invested in talking to each other that they didn't notice when Breeze came back from his hunting trip.

"Hey Little Hawk, Shade," Breeze said walking up to the two of them, snaking his tail around Little Hawk. He looked down at his mate, who in turn glanced up at him with a little bit of surprise but no hostility. Breeze stared at the other tom with a gaze that Little Hawk couldn't quite pick up on. Shade stared back at him just as intensely.

Suddenly the atmosphere started to change, Shade backed away a little,

"Hello Breeze," he said with a friendly smile, no sign of the earlier expression on his face, "Sorry about not seeing you, me and Little Hawk were just having a chat," Shade said. Breeze nodded in turn and said, "Hey, why don't you eat with us? The patrol I came back with brought lots of prey." Shade agreed and so the three got some prey and settled down to eat.

The group made some pleasant small talk and ate their prey contently. Little Hawk was a little confused about what the earlier exchange between the two friends was about, but after seeing the two talk and laugh together the she-cat decided not to dwell on it and tucked into the thrush she had gotten from the fresh-kill pile.

It was later that night that Shade remembered his dream from the night before. He hadn't thought about it since he woke up. He had thought that it was just a weird dream and he decided to think nothing more of it. But now that he lay in his nest alone and in the quiet of the den, his thoughts wandered to the night before as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Shade woke up in the same starry place as the night before, but this time he wasn't falling and was standing stationary. He looked around him in amazement at the beauty, but then he remembered the omen from his dream last night. He shuddered and when he glanced back in front of him he saw the white she-cat from before. He felt a small shudder pass through him when he realized that she had been staring at him.

"What am I doing here? What is this place? Why did you bring me back here?" He said quickly, not leaving enough time for the she-cat to answer him. She gazed at him with a sort of gentleness that one would see in an elder looking at a small kit.

The she-cat looked down and waved her paw over the stars below her. Shade glanced down and saw what seemed to be a birds eye view of the valley. Shade was confused but watched as the mysterious she-cat waved her paw slowly over the view and the sight before Shade seemed to change, as if she was moving the view with her paw. She showed him a view of the northern mountains of the valley and as she moved her paw, the view seemed to go over the mountains in the direction she was dragging her paw in. The she-cat showed Shade a view down through a deep ravine, up along the side of some more mountains that had peculiar shaped peaks, and through some high open valleys.

The she-cat finally stopped moving her paw when she got to what seemed to be a view of a waterfall. The white cat pointed to the waterfall and Shade looked back up at her deep, thoughtful grey eyes. He seemed confused, so the she-cat gently said,

"This is where you need to go. You need to journey there to find out how to fix the Tribe of the Valley's ways. You will need to gather a small patrol and head out as soon as possible. Time is of the essence Shade, soon it will be too late. Dark times lay ahead, you need save the Tribe that we have built."

Shade was very confused as to what the she-cat meant. Fix what ways? Why did this waterfall that was very far from the valley seem so important to this mysterious she-cat? Why was HE supposed to save the tribe, and from what?

Before he ask these questions though, the starry sky started to swirl around him and the stars started winking out one by one until he could no longer see the white she-cat.

He woke up with a start. He felt very uneasy about what that dream meant, but he had a feeling in his belly that whatever that she-cat had said to him was very important.


End file.
